10.05.2017

Still few answers in police shooting of Tommy Le

Seattle's Vietnamese American community experiencing a political awakening around Le's death

Police say he was holding a weapon. It turned out to be a pen. Officers claimed they fired after he charged at them. An autopsy revealed he had been shot in the back. It's been four months since 20-year-old Tommy Le was fatally shot by King County Sheriff's deputies, and there are still few answers about his death.

While public awareness around Le's death seemed relatively quiet, the Vietnamese American community in Seattle has begun to experience a political awakening around Le and the movement against police violence.

"His death has become a catalyst for a campaign by activists to make it easier in Washington state to prosecute police officers in shooting cases," the Los Angeles Times reports. "It has also emerged as a key example in a wider push to require police dash and body cameras, which were not in place when Le was killed."